This invention pertains to wearable, portable arm supports, particularly useful while traveling long distances, or for people undergoing medical treatment who must sit for extended periods of time.
The art teaches that there are a number of restraint devices for supporting arms. Additionally the art teaches means for attachment of other apparel such as pants, skirts, etc. Various type fasteners are also known as is the use of padding and flexible fabric. Exemplary of the known patents are as follows:
U.S. Pat. No. 81,842 is a shoulder brace with suspender. Kid straps are attached to the waistband. The kid sraps are provided with button holes for attachment to the buttons on a skirt or pants.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,048,098 shows an adjustable chain for binding and supporting both arms.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,157,341 illustrates a shawl of knitted fabric adapted to snuggly engage the arms, shoulders, and a portion of the back.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,150,069 illustrates berry picking sleeves adapted to be drawn over the arms and secured inplace by a strip of canvas extending across the back with elastic straps secured to the corners of the canvas and the upper ends of the sleeves. Movements of the wearer are thus not impeded and at the same time the sleeves will snugly fit the arms of various persons with equal comfort.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,295,806 teaches a restraining device for anaesthesia and surgery wherein a belt encircles both arms and wrist straps connected to the belt are connected to another belt that restrains the knees.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,560,243 shows a sling for supporting two arms where there is no neck strain. The sling is a T-sheet of flexible material having laterally extended arms as seen in FIG. 2, that embrace the waist of the wearer. There are also fasteners to secure the arms. The stem portion of the sheet is slotted to fit around a person""s neck. There are a pair of forked portions whose upper parts rest on the shoulders and the lower parts terminate in the aforesaid sling which is adjustable by means of buckled straps
U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,038 is a hand and arm restraint for hospitalized patients. A pouch receives the hands and arms of the patient through arm openings which are adjustable. Adjusting straps allow securing the pouch to a bed frame and to adjust the position of the pouch so that the patient can comfortably fold his arms.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,762 depicts a typing brace apparatus wherein there is an elbow strap with padding and a wrist strap. The straps depend from a rigid yoke that embraces the shoulder. The brace enables typing comfort for a person sitting at a computer and also relieves stress.
The device of this invention is for the most part functionally different as well as structurally different. It is not a restraint device but one that affords comfort. Unlike most of the prior art it is intended to support both arms with a unitary structure which is readily removable.
It therefore is an object of this invention to provide a support for both arms simultaneously.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a support which is easy to install and remove.
It is a further an object of this invention to provide an arm support which is especially useful when travelling or sitting for long periods of time.
The arm support in question is made of a flexible knit fabric having a frontal body divided into frontal edges and rear edges. The front is approximately of square shape with shoulder and elbow darts and a horizontal envelope so that when the elbows are bent the lower portions of the arms and hands rest comfortably within the envelope. The upper part of the body extends over the shoulders and fastens around the top portions of the wearer""s back Underlying the front edges is a binding of rigid non-flexible fabric which also embraces the arms. The body extends around the rear in a somewhat different manner. The rear of the body has edges with an underlying binding as described above, but only the portions around the wearer""s back have a non-flexible underlying binding followed by a flexible binding abutting on to the non-flexible binding at the approximate level of the underarm of the wearer to allow for more comfort. The device is fastened at the back around the shoulder blades with pieces of fastening fibers. Optionally a blanket can be attached to the body in the region of the upper or lower torso.